So, despite the fact that there is no deal on the Wall Street bailout, John McCain is now feeling "optimistic", and has announced that he'll be at tonight's debate in Oxford, Mississppi. And why is that? Probably because his cheap stunt wasn't playing in Peoria...or anywhere else. Bristol-Herald Courier, Virginia: Candidates Must Debate: But John McCain, who is plummenting in the polls, was clearly using the financial meltdown as an excuse to skip the first debate with Barack Obama...it is absurd for McCain to use the Wall Street bailout as an excuse to bail out of the first presidential debate. Being president requires the ability to juggle several different balls. Miami Herald, Florida Let debate happen: This is no time for political stunts...the best way for Sens. McCain and Obama to tell America how they would lead the country out of this mess is for them to engage in a nationally televised debate. The Portsmouth Herald, New Hampshire: America Needs Debate on Bailout: The need for a vigorous debate is why we reject Republican presidential contender John McCain's call to delay the first presidential debate scheduled for tonight in Oxford, Miss. McCain said he has suspended his campaign until a solution can be found — and the need for a show of leadership. In Forum, North Dakota: Candidates Can’t Spin the Politics: McCain’s decision was a political stunt. A presidential debate will have no effect on the congressional discussion of the bailout. Rather, it can be useful to help voters distinguish between McCain’s and Obama’s approaches to the crisis. After all, one of them will inherit the situation, and there are stark differences between them regarding economic policy. That's just a few examples out of a slew of negative editorials from across the country. Add to that the mockery and eye-rolling across the TV news landscape and McCain's "optimism" is easy to understand. No one was buying the cheap, political ploy to distract from his tanking poll numbers, his lying campaign manager and his disastrous choice for a running mate.